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Quest for Twilight Enchantment Day 3
Description Welcome to the VFK Twilight Enchantment Epic Quest, Day 3! This is the third day of your epic quest for twilight enchantment! In today's quest, we look into facts and legends surrounding birds of prey! The immense size of many of the Eagle species, the speed and precision of the hawks and the mischievous boldness of the ravens have captured the imagination and have inspired awe in people since before recorded history. Your reward for completing this third stage of this Epic Quest will be 1,000 credits and your third Twilight Pin, the Eagle Pin! Prizes Questions 1. Eagles are some of the largest birds in the world. In addition, they are some of the most powerful and efficient hunters. One of the largest eagle species is the Phillippine Eagle found in the rainforests of the major Philippine Islands. The eagle has long feathers on the back of its head that looks like a lion's mane. It had been likened to the mythical creature, the griffin which it part lion and part eagle. The Phillippine Eagle has an interesting history. It was discovered in 1896 by the English explorer and naturalist John Whitehead. The eagle was originally named the Monkey-eating Eagle because it was only known to prey on monkeys. Its name was changed in 1978 to the Phillippine Eagle. In 1995, it was made the National Emblem of the Phillippines. What is the local name for this huge bird? * Aves * Griffin * Luzon * Jefferyi * Banog 2. The size of the Phillippine Eagle is immense. These large birds have brown backs and white stomachs and their fierce looks are imposing. The females which are larger than the males by 10-20%, average 3.3 feet in length, have a wingspan of over six and a half feet and weigh just under sixteen pounds. There are two other eagle species that are also this large, the Harpy Eagle and the Australian Steller's Sea Eagle. Go to the back of the Sydney Opera House in Australia and say "Fly like an eagle." 3.Bald Eagles, the beautiful brown bodied eagle with a white head and tail are the most commonly known eagle due to its declaration as a national symbol of the USA in 1782. With a wingspan from six to seven and a half feet, they are the second largest bird of prey in North America, with only the California Condor being larger. Their scientific name means "white-headed sea-eagle" and they are the only known sea eagle in North America. This means that they almost always live near water such as along the sea coast, near lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and coastal marshes. Bald eagles and osprey (a smaller faster raptor) often inhabit the same territory. Bald Eagles will often: * Share their catch with osprey. * Be "mid-air pirates" and steal fish from osprey. * Receive so much harassment from an osprey that they drop their prey. * Will adopt osprey chicks. 4. Most people are not aware that Bald Eagles migrate. The more southern Bald Eagles will spend most the year near their breeding grounds. The northern Bald Eagles however, will migrate over long distances to breeding grounds in Alaska, Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Mississippi River, the Gulf Coast, along the East Coast, and near the Great Lakes. They will spend the colder winter months in warmer parts of the US and even down into Northwestern Mexico. Go to the Waterfall room in the Audubon's Wildlife Adventure game and say "Which of these birds is an Eagle?" 5. The term hawk can refer to almost any bird of prey with the exception of owls, however it usually refers to birds such as Goshawks, Sparrowhawks, the sharp-shinned Hawk and around 50 other species. These hawks have broad short wings for easy maneuvering in their wooded habitat and sharp talons. They are slender birds of prey that hunt by suddenly ambushing their prey from a hidden perch . They have long tails for quick turns and have a characteristic flight pattern of several flaps and then a brief glide. Hawks are diurnal, which means: * They do not exhibit any particular pattern of activity. * They are active and hunt both day and night. * They are active and hunt at night. * They are active and hunt in the daytime. 6. The eyesight of hawks, eagles and owls is much keener than humans. They also have binocular vision, which means their eyes face forward. To compare a hawk's eyesight to humans, our standard of eyesight is based on data for what is normal for a large number of humans. Basically, normal means that you can see what most other people can see at 20 feet. This is referred to as 20/20 vision. If you have vision better than normal, for example 20/10 vision, it means that a person can see at 20 feet what normal people can see at 10 feet. A hawk would be considered to have 20/2 vision which is eight times keener than normal. This is due to the fact that despite having a much smaller eye than a human, the hawk has a higher density of sensors (cones) in the same space. Go to the inside of the Mercantile in the Wild West and say "Do you carry binoculars?" 7. Hawks are very prevalent in myths and legends. They have very similar symbolic meanings as eagles and most of the symbolism has to do with the sun. They are also associated with royalty and power as well as heavens and watchfulness. When a legendary god is portrayed with a hawk's head, it is usually a sun god. What "legendary rumor" is thought to be true of both true hawks and eagles? * That they can steal your sight. * That they can stare directly at the sun. * That they foretell of peace and prosperity. * That they are said to be slow and sluggish. 8. Other ancient myths of both the Romans and the Aztecs portray the hawk as a swift messenger of the gods. The hawk's swiftness in flight also is thought to be the reason behind the Egyptians use of the hawk as their hieroglyph emblem representing the wind. Go to the Castle Gate and say "Hawks are swift as the wind!" 9. Ravens are the largest birds of the genus Corvus. This group consists of birds that are entirely black, or mostly black with some white or gray markings and includes crows. They are very smart and test near the top of the avian IQ scale. Some ravens are said to be able to learn how to talk. Studies of ravens show that they are able to use rudimentary tools. They have been known to hold bread crumbs in their beaks as bait to catch fish. Seven ravens live permanently at the Tower of London in London, England. They can't fly away due to the practice of keeping their flight feathers clipped. They are kept there because of a superstition dating back to Charles II. He believed that if ever there was a time when all the ravens disappeared from the tower that the kingdom and the White Tower would fall. The birds have their own pens and are tended by a Yeoman Warder at the Tower called: * The Ravenmaster * Old Clarence The Tender * Raven Keeper * Birdmaster 10. In the mythology of the Norse people, there are two ravens who accompany the Norse God Odin. These ravens, named Hugin and Munin, are believed to go out and travel through the world bringing information and news back to Odin. The Raven Hugin is referred to as "thought" and the Raven Munin is referred to as "memory". When Odin sends them out at dawn they then return in the evening and sit on Odin's shoulders. They whisper all the news from their travels into the god's ears. Because of these ravens, Odin is called the "raven-god." Go to the Victorian crossroads and say "Quoth the raven, Nevermore!" Answers 1. Banog 2. Go to the Sydney Opera House Back in Australia and say "Fly like an eagle." 3. Be "mid-air pirates" and steal fish from osprey. 4. Go to the Audubon Tranquil Waterfall and say "Which of these birds is an Eagle?" 5. They are active and hunt in the daytime. 6. Go to inside of the Western Mercantile and say "Do you carry binoculars?" 7. That they can stare directly at the sun. 8. Go to the Castle Gate and say "Hawks are swift as the wind!" 9. The Ravenmaster 10. Go to the Corner of Balta Street and say "Quoth the raven, Nevermore!" Category:Quests Category:Epic Quests